James Fiddes: Resist Aquarion's takeover of Bethel land and water

James Fiddes

Published 4:50 pm, Monday, June 17, 2013

First Selectman Matt Knickerbocker's support of the Aquarion takeover of Bethel's water supply ignores the very real losses Bethel will suffer.

We'll be giving up our rights as residents to some of the most precious multi-use land in our town, land that has been available to Bethel residents since about 1920, land that will become part of and connected to a region-wide recreation/open space area.

The reservoir lands link to Redding's Limekiln trail system, Gallows Hill, with links to other local trail systems -- all parts of an entire planned Greenway. Losing our reservoir lands will break the chain, for Bethel and for the entire region.

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The Aquarion plan is to take control (think fences) of the land around the reservoir until such a time as wells can be dug, at which time the land will be re-deeded back to Bethel. The timing of this is entirely up to Aquarion.

There's a huge difference between surface reservoir water and underground aquifer water, as anyone who has a well, but lives near surface water, will tell you. This is New England, with granite-type rock, hardly the porous types needed for extensive underground supplies.

The studies and experimental wells will take years -- years Bethel residents will be denied access to their land. Besides, there's little guarantee of finding adequate sub-surface water in all that time. What happens to well owners if the water table is depleted if Aquarion does indeed tap into this alleged aquifer, and people's wells run dry? Then what? The costs to place water lines and hook up to them would be enormous.

Really, it's akin to having your plumber do his work for a much-reduced price, in exchange for his ownership of your family room downstairs (to be deeded back, of course, at some unspecified future time). Just you stay out of that family room -- that used to be yours -- until then!

For example, look at our near neighbors, and how Aquarion has treated them: Brookfield is up in arms over the fencing of their land, and Ridgefield is now finding the land they gave to Aquarion is being leased to build unsightly cell towers in view of residential neighborhoods, something the town itself had strongly resisted for years.

Aquarion polices its holdings with armed rent-a-cops and ex-police officers supplementing their retirements -- a private police force with the power of arrest. Entrance is only for hunters by lottery, and perhaps some licensed fishermen. In other words, to re-enter this land that has been a shared beauty and a Bethel citizen's recreational area, you'll have to either be lucky, or have to kill something, or both.

The state of Connecticut purchased 90,000 acres, now controlled by Aquarion, despite it belonging to the state. How much of this is accessible? Access is very limited, no dogs, no bikes, etc.

Don't for one minute believe that Aquarion has the best interests of Bethel at heart.

Until we can diaper the deer, opossums, and other furry critters that travel freely in watersheds, the supposed "health arguments" are ridiculous. Even such environmentally conscious states as California and Colorado allow domestic animals and people entry to watersheds as long as they stay a certain distance from the shorelines. Nobody restricts wild animals, of course.

Some years ago, this part of the country fought a war in resistance to wealthy self-interests from across the Atlantic. Aquarion is just another rich multi-national organization, overwhelming local small-town politicians. You can see Aquarion's representatives, this time in blue jackets, not red coats, as they stride through Bethel and its town hall.

There are other ways for Bethel to repair its neglected infrastructure. There is no indication that other avenues have been adequately explored, and they certainly haven't been readily offered up to Bethel citizens for discussion.

Did you know two parts of the water supply network have already been sold to Aquarion? What the current administration is trying to do smacks of some good-old-boy shell game sneaked too quickly past under-informed Bethel residents.